Wednesday, January 1, 2003 12:00:00 AM America/New_York

ELKHART, Indiana - January 2003 -- Few voices in the pop world are as easily recognized and cherished as Art Garfunkel's. From classic Simon & Garfunkel hits like 'Bridge Over Troubled Water', 'Mrs. Robinson' and 'Sounds of Silence' to new material like 'Bounce', 'The Thread' and 'Perfect Moment', Garfunkel's trademark tenor has attracted countless fans of all ages around the world.

Currently on tour with fellow songwriters Buddy Mondlock and Maia Sharp in support of the trio's new collaborative album, Everything Waits to be Noticed (EMI / Manhattan Records), Garfunkel and his band are now exclusively using Crown microphones out on the road.

Ten Crown CM-200A cardioid condenser microphones are being used for all vocals onstage in addition to sax, electric and acoustic guitar, kick drum and snare top. Half a dozen CM-700 cardioid condensers are employed on high hat, toms, snare bottom and chimes, while four miniature hypercardioid GLM-200s mic the congas and bongos as well as serve as overheads for the drum kit. The microphone complement is further rounded out by a pair of PZM-6Ds for piano and a single CM-150 omnidirectional condenser mic for RTA use.

"Despite its tiny size, the Crown GLM-200 has made a gigantic improvement on Nick Vincent's drums," says Brian Bavido, Garfunkel's monitor engineer. "A pair of them as overheads combined with a CM-200A on kick provides a terrific overall drum sound; it's incredibly smooth and full. Engineers at a few stops on the tour so far have laughed when they saw us putting the GLM-200s up because they're so small that we're actually gaffing them to boom stands. But once they've heard them, they've all been amazed."

Stuart Breed, Garfunkel's FOH and studio engineer for 18 years, is equally pleased with the Crown selection, particularly the Pressure Zone Microphones. "I love the PZM-6Ds in the piano," he notes. "I used to use Crown PZMs quite a bit for guitars and other instruments when I worked with Geoff Emerick at Air Studios back in the '80s and have always liked them.

"For Art's tour, Warren Bernhardt typically plays a nine-foot Steinway with the piano lid down. By positioning the PZMs on the underside of the lid, we're able to get the microphones another inch and a quarter away from the strings than our previous mics, which really allows the notes to breathe. It makes a world of difference. Art tends to be a real stickler for natural piano sounds, so if he's happy to sing 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' with a Steinway that's miked with Crown PZMs - which he is - there's simply no better endorsement."

The all-Crown concept was brought to the table by Bavido. "Troy Shearman at Full Range Sound, my SR company and studio, really suggested it," he says. "When Art took a two-month hiatus at the end of the summer, I rejoined Troy on some regional jobs and really liked what I was hearing him use the Crown mics on - even more so than some of the sounds we were getting out on Art's tour. So we sat down in the studio, tried mic'ing a bunch of instruments with different models and came up with an all-Crown input list (aside from a few active DI boxes). Then, when rehearsals for the new tour commenced in Salt Lake City, we brought the Crowns out, put them up, made a few minor changes in model choices and basically locked it all in. Everything sounds great. I've always been a strong advocate of Crown amplifiers and now I'm a fan of their mics, too."

After wrapping up the domestic leg of the tour, Garfunkel heads to Europe and the UK in late February for a month before coming back to the States for another sweep. At this point, he's anticipated to tour with Mondlock, Sharp and the band in support of the new album throughout much of 2003.

Garfunkel and his former musical partner, Paul Simon, are being honored by The Recording Academy at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony on February 23 with the prestigious 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Crown International, a Harman International company, manufactures amplifiers, microphones, and systems control products for professional audio markets worldwide, with corporate headquarters located in Elkhart, Indiana.